Coin-controlled lock for telephon es



(No Model.) heats-Sheet 1.

P. G OOKE & J. L. HARLEY. G01N GONTROLLED LOCK EUR' TELEPHONES.

No. 525,094. `Patented Aug. 28, 1894.

illi "minimun UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PITT COOKE AND JOSEPH L. HARLEY, OF WASI-IINGTON,DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. l

COIN-'CONTROLLED I .ocK FOR"'rI-:LI-:Pl-l-ONlas.L

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 525,094, dated August28, 1894. Appnmion mea January 30.1894. serian... 498,500. (No moda.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PITT COOKE and JO sEPH L. HARLEY, citizens of theUnited States, residing at lVashington, District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Locksfor Telephones; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements incoin-controlled locks for telephones, and is designed to provide anattachment whereby the dynamo shaft of the telephone is normally lockedso that it canrnotl be turned until released by the'use of a coin, ashereinafter shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a side view of the telephonebox with the coin controlled lock attached in position. Fig. 2 shows theswitch lever side of the telephone box with the mechanism by which themove? ment of the switch lever is communicated to the other side of thebox to secure or release the coin lock. Fig. 3 shows the coin controlledlock in position upon the dynamo shaft side of the telephone box, andalso gives a vertical sectional view of the lock mechanism. Fig.

4 is a sectional side View of the coin box; and

ceiving circuits of the telephone, and having projecting from the otherside the outer end C of the shaft of the magnetic dynamo provided withthe usual crank handle D whereby the shaft may be revolved in order tocall up the other end of the circuit.

In the patent heretofore issued to said Pitt Cooke on the 23d day ofMay, 1893, United States Patent No. 497,907, the object of the inventionis to lock the telephone switch upon which the receiver is hung so thatthe circuit cannot be closed and speech transmitted or received, unlessthe locking device is released either by a key or a coin.

l In the present improvement the object lof the invention is to normallylock the dynamo shaft so that the other end'of the line, or centraloffice, cannot be called up for the purpose of transmitting a message,unless a coin of a certain size and lweight is used to-release thelocking device, and it will be seen from the following description thatthis device will not prevent the calling up of the instrument luponwhich it is placed, norl will it prevent the using of receiver ortransmitter when so called up, unless it is desired to so adj ust thelocking device as to prevent such use.

In the present invention thecoin controlled locking mechanism iscontained within a casing preferably constructed as shown in thedrawings; the upper part E being shallow and adapted to contain the lockmechanism, and the lower part F being somewhat deeper and adapted toserve as a coin safe, and being closed at the front bya removable lid ordoor G. Said lidG is formed as shown in Fig. 4 being adapted to fitwithin and against the front of said coin safe F, and having upon itsinner side a sheath H, preferably vertical, adapted to receive theretaining pinrI, the upper and lower sides of the coin. safe F beingprovided with corresponding slots h, h, so that when the lid Gis pnt inplace upon the front of the safe the shank of the retaining pin I, maybe passed through said slotsl and casing and holdthethe end of themonkey tail or rearwardlyextending arm 1 of the gravity pawl 2, whichengages with the slide or bolt 3. The end of this bolt 3 projectingthrough the casing E is forked, andthe upper arm 4 of the fork isadapted to engage with a ratchet wheel 5 mounted upon the shaft C of thedynamo, outside of the telephone box A, the said casing being attachedto the side of the telephone-box A in such manner that when the bolt 3is locked the upper fork 4 will fully engage with the ratchet wheel 5,and prevent the turning of the dynamo shaft C.

The upper edge of the bolt 3 is provided with two notches, 6, 7 (or moremay be used if deemed desirable) adapted to be engaged by the pawl 2.

Upon the monkey tail 1 of the pawl 2, is provided a pin or lug 8,adapted to strike upon an elongated projection or lug 9 upon the rearend of the bolt 3. j

Upon the top of the coin-safe F ispivoted a bell crank lever having itshorizontal arm 10 projecting a little beyond the face of the telephonebox A, said arm being provided near its outer end with a suitable fingerbutton, and having its extremity formed in the shape of a hook.

The vertical arm 1l of the bell crank lever is provided at its upper endwith a hole or slot so that it maybe pivotally mounted upon theoutwardly projecting stud pin 13 of the cross-head or cross-bar 12. Thiscross-bar 12 is preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 5, having theoutwardly projecting stud pin 13, and also an inwardly projecting studpin 14, which is adapted to pass through a suitable horizontal slot inthe front face of the casing E, the end of the stud pin 14 beingthreaded and adapted to entera corresponding threaded hole in the bolt3, thereby connecting the bolt with the vertical arm 11 of the bellcrank lever.

It will be observed from Fig. 3 of the drawings that when the controlleris locked, the upper fork arm, 4, of the bolt, 3, fully entering betweenthe teeth of the ratchet wheel 5, the pawl 2, will engage the innernotch 6, upon the upper end of the bolt. Nowif a coin entering the chutee drops upon the end of the monkey tail 1, the latter will be depresseduntil the lug 8 rests upon the lug 9; this depression being sufticientto release the pawl 2 from the notch 6, but not being sufficient toallow the coin to escape off of the end of the monkey tail. The bolt 3,is new in position to be unlocked, and by depressing the lever arm 10,the lever arm 1l, being pivotally secured to the bolt 3, will draw backthe latter until the fork arm 4, is out of engagement with the ratchetwheel 5, allowing the crank D to be turned in order to call up theconnecting telephone. The lug S and lug 9 are so arranged that while thebolt 3, is being retracted, the former will rest upon the latter untilthe pawl 2, is past the second notch 7,

on the bolt, but when the bolt has been retraeted so far as to take saidlugs outof contact, the weight of the coin upon the end of themonkey-tail 1 will depress the latter sutlicient to allow the coin toroll ott into the coin safe F, and being then relieved of the weight ofthe coin the pawl 2 will rest upon the upper edge of the bolt 3. It thepressure on the lever arm 10 is now released the spring 15 willimmediately press the bolt outwardly so as to again engage with theratchet wheel, and the pawl will engage with the bolt, so thatthe'machne will be locked again. In order to retain the machine in theunlocked position, a weight K, may be hung upon the hooked end of thelever 10,a hook being provided on the bottom of the telephone box uponwhich to hang theweight when not in use. We think it preferable howeverto retain the bolt in the unlocked position or to release it therefromby the use of the receiver or hand phone, and to accomplish this,avertical plunger 16, is placed below the lower fork end o f the slide 3,said plunger being spring-seated within asmallsleeve-casing secured tothe side of the coin lock casing, the plunger extending below saidsleeve casing and being provided at its lower end with a cross head orcollar. The lower fork end ot the bolt 3 is provided on its lower edgewith a notch 18, adapted to receive the head of the plunger 16 when thebolt is retracted far enough to release the ratchet wheel 5.

Under the telephone box a shaft 19 extending from side to side of thebox is mounted in suitable brackets secured to said box, one end of theshaft bearing a crank arm 20 with a IOO forked end adapted to straddlethe lower end of the plunger 16 and the other end of the shaftbeingaerank arm 21 pivotally connected by the rod 22 with the lever 23,the latter being pivotally secured to the telephone boxin such positionthat its outerend will always be under the telephone switch lever B andmay be put in contact with said switch lever whether the receivingcircuit is open or closed. The connections between the lever`23 and theplunger 16 are so adjusted that if the slide 3 is retracted the plungerwill not rise and engage in the notch 1S to hold the slide back unlessthe telephone receiver or hand phone is removed, the weight of the handphone operating to depress the lever 23 and the forked end of the crankarm* 20 and hold down the plunger 16.

In order to use the above described invention, the various parts beingconstructed and attached to the telephone box as specified, a coin ofproper size and weight is inserted through the chimney into thecoin-chute e and falling upon the monkey tail 1 depresses the latter andcarries the pawl 2 out of the notch 6 in the upper edge of the bolt 3.The bolt is then retracted by pushing down the horizontal lever arm 10,and the ratchet wheel 5 being then disengaged the crankD may be IIOturned to call up the other end of the tele.- phone line. It is apparentthat while the crank D is beingturned the lever arm 10 must be held downto keep the bolt from engaging with the ratchet wheel, and that if thepressure on the lever armis removed the bolt will move forward andbelocked so that the crank cannot be turned. To prevent this relookingthe hand phone is removed from the telephone switch, and the outer endof the lever 23 will then be pulled up by the spring 24, and theconnecting rod 22 pulling up the outer end of the crank arm 2l will turnthe shaft 19, elevating the forked end of the crank arm 20 suflcientlyto allow the plunger 16 to rise and engage in the notch 18 in the underedge of the bolt 3, so as to retain the bolt in its retracted position.

After using the telephone the hanging up of the hand phone will forcedown the lever 23 and the head of the plunger 16 will be drawn out ofthe notch 18,` allowing the bolt 3 to move forward so as to engage theratchet wheel 5.

It may sometimes happen that when the bolt is released to lockthemachine the ratchet wheel will be in such position that the end ofthe fork arm 4 of the bolt will catch upon the edge of one of theratchet teeth instead of fully entering between two of said teeth; butif this should occur the bolt will be in such position that the pawl 2will engage in the second notch 7 in the upper edge of the bolt 3 andprevent the retraction of the latter to release the ratchet wheel, andif an attempt is made to turn the ratchet wheel the bolt willimmediately spring forward, the pawl will be carried out of the notch 7and fall into the rear notch 6, and the machine will be locked in itsnormal position. When the machine is unlocked by a coin the notch 7 willnot interfere with the full retraction of the bolt, because the weightof the coin lifting the pawl out of the rearnotch 6 will hold it upuntil the notch 7 has passed it.

It is obvious that the above described mechanism will not at allinterfere with the use of the telephone for receiving or answeringmessages: itis designed and intended solely to prevent the unauthorizedcalling up of the central office and sending of messages without havingpaid for the privilege. Y

In the patent No. 497,907 hereinbefore referred to, the gravity-pawl andbolt are of such construction that either a key or a coin may be used tounlock the machine, and if desired a similar construction might be usedin the present invention.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the rotary shaftof a telephone, of a toothedwheel mounted upon said shaft, a coin controlled lock having alongitudinally sliding bolt the outer end Vof which is adapted to engagesaid toothed` wheel, a pawl for locking said bolt, and a lever fordisengaging the bolt and wheel after bolt is released from engagementwith its locking pawl, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-controlled lock for telephones, the combination with asliding bolt of a bell crank lever fulcrumed below said bolt and havingva pivotal connection therewith, the long arm of said lever projectingbeyond the lock casing, and terminating in a bend or hook, substantiallyas described.

3. In avcoin-controlled lock for telephones, the combination with asliding bolt, of a locking pawl adapted to be tripped by the weight of acoin, and a bell-crank lever fulcrumed below the bolt, and pivotallysecured thereto, the long arm of said lever projecting beyond the lockcasing and provided with a fingerpiece and hook, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a coin-controlled lock for telephones, the combination with. asliding bolt forked at its outer end, and provided with two or morenotches in its upper edge, of a locking pawl adapted to engage saidnotches, and to be tripped by a falling coin, a bell-crank leverfulcrumed below said bolt, and having a hooked outer end, and a couplingdevice for pivotally securing the bell-crank lever to said bolt,consisting of a cross-head having projecting studs or pins,substantially as de scribed. i 5. In a coin-controlled lock fortelephones,

ythe combination with a toothed wheel mounted upon the rotary shaft ofthe telephone, of a sliding bolt forked at its outer end to engage saidwheel, and provided with an elongated laterally projecting lug, adjacentto its inner end,a locking pawl adapted to engage notches formed in saidbolt, and provided with a monkeytail extension adapted to be tripped bya falling coin, and with a lateral lug and a .bell crank lever fulcrumedbelow the bolt and pivotally secured thereto, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination in a coin-controlled lock, of a toothed wheel mounteduponthe rotary shaft of a telephone, a sliding bolt forked to engageysaid wheel, and notched to receive a locking plunger, a locking pawladapted to engage notches formed in the upper edge of the bolt, a bellcrank lever for sliding said bolt, and means for operating said plunger,substantially as described.

7. The combination with a telephone box, of a lever pivoted at one endupon the side of said box so that its outer end will project under thetelephone switch, a rod connecting said lever'with the outer end of acrank arm mounted on one end of a shaft extending from side to side ofthe box, a cran-k arm mounted on the other end of said shaft and havinga forked outer end adapted to straddle the lower end of a plunger catch,and a lock having a bolt provided with a notch to pass through saidholesr in the box and through said sheath so as` to'retain the lid inplace, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures r 5 in presence of twoWitnesses.

PITT COOKE. JOS. L. HARLEY.

Witnesses:

JAS. B. LACKEY, GEO. C. PAYNE.

